An electronic device may include a housing with one or more openings through which electrical components of the device are assembled into the housing. The electrical components can be electrically coupled to a circuit board so that it may communicate data to and from other electrical components that may be electrically coupled to the circuit board.
In some electronic devices, electrical components may be mechanically and electrically coupled to the circuit board before the assembly is disposed into the housing. The electrical components may be coupled to the circuit board by discrete wires soldered to the components. However, as electronic devices become smaller and thinner, such electronic devices may be challenging to manufacture.
For example, an electronic device housing may be designed so that it may be more desirable or practical for some electrical components to be mechanically and electrically coupled to the circuit board after the circuit board is disposed within a housing of the device. This may occur when the size or design of the housing or obstructions within the housing prevents one of the electrical components from being preassembled to the circuit board before the circuit board is inserted into the housing.
Furthermore, when discrete wires are used to couple components to a circuit board, the electronic device may be difficult to manufacture because each discrete wire may need to be hand-soldered to the electrical components. Once the wires are soldered to the components, it may be difficult to neatly insert the wires into the housing. Indeed, the wires may occupy precious space within the housing when space is at a premium.
There also may be reliability concerns. For example, solder joints may be compromised when the circuit board and the electrical component are inserted into the housing. The solder joints also may be compromised as a result of damage from regular use of the electronic device or from external forces applied to the electronic device.